this
past year board members and staff of solar cookers international (sci)
explored ways to accelerate the spread of solar cooking worldwide to address
urgent cooking fuel scarcities now affecting one-sixth of humanity. after
numerous brainstorming sessions, committee meetings and board discussions, sci
developed a new strategic plan for the next six years (to 2010) that defines its
role in this process, along with six major new initiatives.

sci's
first priority will be the achievement of self-sustaining spread of solar
cooking and solar water pasteurization, first in western kenya, then across
kenya and beyond its borders to other sun-rich countries. to accomplish this,
sci's dedicated eastern africa staff will create public awareness, promote local
business ventures and other income-generating opportunities for women, and
encourage governments to create fair energy policies that don't favor the use of
fossil fuels over solar. sci will also work to engage educational institutions
and health agencies to further hasten the spread.

another
high priority will be the mobilization of solar cooking leaders worldwide to
advocate together for greater public awareness and support of solar cooking.
one-half billion people today live in sun-rich areas and need access to this
simple, sustainable solution.

during
the past year, sci not only created this exciting new strategic plan, but also
completed many of the goals from its previous strategic plan.

sunny solutions community
projectimportant accomplishments included the official "sunny solutions" project
launch in nyakach, kenya with partner agency nyakach community development
association (nyacoda). this followed an extensive baseline study, feedback from
pilot families, and training of 15 new solar cooks to teach their neighbors and
earn income by selling cookers. the sunny solutions project aims to spread solar
cookers through local entrepreneurs. early results show that the low cost
"cookit" solar cooker pays for itself in one to two months of fuel savings.
solar water pasteurization is popular too.

kakuma evaluation
sci commissioned a major, independent evaluation of its project in kakuma
refugee camp in northwestern kenya. this was eight years after beginning the
project and two years after free cooker distribution ended and local trainers
started selling cookers. during sci's eight-year presence, the camp population
tripled in size and there was considerable refugee turnover. in the end, sci
served about one-third of the camp's 86,000 residents. at the time of the study,
over 20 percent of the refugee households reported using solar cookers
� half of them nearly every day � and about
90 percent of them were aware of solar cooking. refugee-defined solar cooking
benefits included money savings, improved lifestyle, and increased safety for
children (compared to dangerous cooking fires). in fact, households that solar
cooked whenever possible could cut their monthly fuel expenditure in half.
orphans, elderly, and the disabled especially benefited from solar cooking, as
did over 25 refugees who earned income as trainers and helpers. sci helped to
build a refugee owned and operated solar cooker cooperative (sococo) that
continues to make solar cooking supplies available in the camp.

advocacy

sci's volunteer united
nations (un) representatives continued to lobby in new york and geneva for
inclusion of solar cooking in un policies and programs, such as the commission
on sustainable development. many other volunteers provided presentations,
demonstrations, posters and handouts at numerous events and conferences
� such as sustainable resources 2003 in
colorado, usa � thereby raising awareness
and bringing recent solar cooking advances to thousands of influential
individuals.

education resources

new web site
sci launched a new, second web site at
www.solarcookers.org.
this site provides basic information about solar cooking and detailed
information about sci as an organization, including its mission, programs,
people and history. solar cookers, cookbooks, literature and supplies can now be
ordered, and donations can be made, through a secure on-line server. visits to
sci's original web site � the highly
successful solar cooking archive, maintained by volunteer tom sponheim
since 1996 � grew by over 400,000 this year
to top one million total visits.

publications
sci updated and expanded its most popular publication, how to make, use and
enjoy solar cookers, with more detailed instructions and improved graphics.
additionally, a field project guide and an operations manual were developed. in
eastern africa, english- and dholuo-language cookit instructions were developed
and distributed.

information exchange

last year, sci responded to
over 1,000 inquiries from over 100 countries. information shared by sci helped
these inquirers to make solar cooker know-how available to tens of thousands
around the world. a sample comment: "thanks for a well thought-out response to
my inquiry on solar cookers. i appreciate your insightful suggestions on how to
pursue and get more knowledge on solar technology."

periodicals
sci's us office produced two solar cooker review issues, each with a
worldwide circulation over 11,000. sci's kenya office produced three sunews
issues, with a regional circulation of over 3,000.

survey of independent
promoters
sci surveyed several hundred solar cooking promoters from around the world
� many of whom have benefited from sci's
expertise over the years � to learn about
their solar cooking activities, informational needs and use of educational
resources. with their responses sci updated its international directory of solar
cooking promoters (on the internet at
http://solarcooking.org/directory.asp). approximately 350 surveys from
nearly 100 countries have been submitted thus far. there have been direct,
significant achievements because of the outstanding efforts of those surveyed:

247,801 solar cookers
have been produced

4,045 solar cooking
trainers have been trained

technical assistance

consultation services
volunteer barbara knudson conducted a baseline study for a solar water
pasteurization project in tanzania. sci also provided on-site assistance to the
following organizations:

rotary club of fresno
and the aprovecho research center, for joint training in rwanda

tom sponheim was
inducted into the sci order of excellence for his extensive volunteer work both
as founder of solar box cookers northwest and it's excellent newsletter
solar box journal, and as founder and webmaster since 1996 of sci's solar
cooking archive web site (http://solarcooking.org).

faustine odaba was
recognized for 10 years of service to sci as an outstanding solar cooking
trainer in numerous african countries.

the legacy of doug
augustine� an early solar cooking
promoter in tanzania, as well as a creative inventor and generous philanthropist
� continued with a most generous gift of
stock from his wife, shirley augustine. this gift nearly doubled in value
after we received it, providing over $35,000 for sci's work in eastern africa.
sci is humbled and deeply grateful for this inspiring gift.

board of directors
2003-2004

david anderson

k.c. bishop, phd

beverlee bruce, phd

ann bennett

dick cochran

john collentine, jd

joyce hightower, md

gary hursh, jd

barbara knudson, phd

joseph mccabe, pe

robert metcalf, phd

virginie mitchem

christine nyanda-chacha, llb

millicent obaso

robert parkins, pe

judith ricci, scd

meredith richardson

carolyn a. ristau, phd

john roche

gabriele simbriger-williams

bruce stahlberg

jim uhl

elvira williams

advocates*
2003-2004

mark aalfs

dale
andreatta

harry
arnold

k. c.
bishop

beverlee
bruce

don coan

sherry cole

mark cotham

cheri &
jeff douglas

mary frank

paul funk

christopher
gronbeck

terry
grumley

hal hammond

linda
hayward

linda helm
krapf

sonia
heptonstall

patt &
tupper hull

gary &
gayle hursh

norge
jerome

joyce
jett-ali

barbara
jodry

cristal
johnson

barbara
kerr

heidi kolbe

matt kuzins

al
ligtenberg

mary makaus

dave martin

lorrie
mccurdy

louise
meyer

mimi miller

virginie
mitchem

virginia
moose

leslie
parks

ed pejack

dave piper

penny
redman

anne rudin

jean runyon

dave ruppe

shahrzad
saderi

clark &
eleanor shimeall

tom
sponheim

claude thau

del & alta
tura

elvira
williams

* advocates actively support sci by serving on committees, cultivating major
donors, advocating at the united nations and elsewhere, helping in the office,
sharing expertise, and/or demonstrating at conferences and special events.